A Restless Spirit
by LuciHara
Summary: After the Ceremonial Duel, everything seems to go back to normal. Ryou feels the need to go back to Egypt, but isn't sure why. Upon arrival, Malik decides to accompany him on his trek to find out why he's been called Kul Elna. What awaits him in this city of the dead? Gemshipping Rated M just in case a lemon writes itself into this in later chapters. Semi-AU. Review!
1. Prologue: Ryou Makes an Unexpected Decis

**Author's Note:**

So this is an idea I've had floating around in my head for a while now. As with all of my stories, I Seto Freaking Kaiba some stuff and toss in a bit of AU with canon events because I can. I try to stick with canon for big things (i.e. Battle City, Millennium World, etc.), but as far as character reactions and the like, I tend to write it the way I think it should've happened. But you're cool with that if you're taking the time to read my drabbles.

No, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or YGOTAS (for the Seto Freaking Kaiba comment). My stories are generally rated M for safety's sake. I naturally curse like a sailor, so my characters do as well. I also tend to throw in some Yaoi periodically. Sometimes they just write themselves, so to speak, so I rate everything M just in case my fingers start typing faster than my brain comprehends.

That should be about it. So read it, review it (I love it when you do. It's my motivation), and enjoy!

* * *

Waking unceremoniously from the steps leading down into what appeared to be a tomb, Ryou stretched his limbs and looked around. He remembered the church. He had been running, but from what? He remembered the moment he felt the spirit overtake him once again; stained glass windows shattering, candles flickering, his screams reaching deaf ears. And that was it. Now he was here. But where was here exactly? He walked tentatively down the crumbling steps, his hand grazing lightly over the cool stone of the walls. He noticed offhandedly that he felt lighter. That was odd.

Reaching the bottom of the steps, he saw his friends gathered around the stone tablet. The eye emblazoned at the top subconsciously caused him to raise a hand to his chest; the Sennen Ring was gone. Did that mean the spirit was gone as well? Maybe that was the lightness he felt. He walked up to the group and listened as they discussed the beginning of the Ceremonial Duel. So this was it; Zorc had been defeated. That meant Bakura was also gone. He was free. He was finally free. Aside from a brief comment here and there, he simply stood back and observed Atem and Yuugi duel each other to decide the Pharaoh's fate.

After quite a bit of back and forth, it was done. Yuugi was victorious; the Pharaoh could finally rest. Ryou knew the moment was bittersweet for both of them. They had been partners, sharing a body quite peacefully for years now. Unlike his relationship with Bakura, Yuugi and Atem cared for each other. They had trusted each other with their lives. Sure, Bakura had kept Ryou out of harm's way for the most part, but that was solely for the sake of having a host body. They were never friends. For Ryou, it was like having an unwanted roommate at best, and an abusive body double at worst. He couldn't fight the pang of jealousy. He had often longed to have that kind of companionship with his yami. Unfortunately, that hadn't been his fate.

Now wasn't the time to dwell on that now, though. It was over. The Pharaoh said his goodbyes, everyone gathered around to hold onto Yuugi's heartbroken form as he tried to put on a brave face for his partner. And then, just like that, it was all over. And then it all went black. Of course Bakura hadn't bothered to eat before all of this started.

* * *

Life continued back in Domino City, as if nothing had happened. School resumed, everyone went back to weekend jobs and playful rounds of Duel Monsters (thankfully without the fate of the world hanging in the balance), and ordinary became just that: ordinary. Ryou continued to paint figurines for the handful of dioramas he was perpetually perfecting. He tried to be more social, but he had spent so long attempting to isolate himself that he just couldn't force himself into being a social butterfly. Besides, something in the back of his mind kept telling him that there was more to this story. It was a faint tug, a ghost of a whisper, the fading memory of a dream.

As he sat at his desk in his empty bedroom, held in an equally empty apartment, his pencil tapped lightly on a worksheet that he just couldn't force himself to finish yet. He glanced at the clock; it was 2:13 am. Malik was definitely still awake. It was still "yesterday" in Egypt, and he had most likely just finished his evening meal.

He picked up the phone and dialed his Egyptian friend's number.

"Hello?," came the delicate voice.

"Uh...hey Malik. H-how are you?"

"I'm good. Just finished eating. Is everything alright, Ryou? It must be very late there."

Ryou paused. This was dumb. It was so dumb. But while he was on the phone, his fingers seemed to move of their own accord, pulling up a travel site and booking a plane ticket.

"Um...yeah. Everything's fine. It's fine. I-I'm just..."

"What? You're just...?"

"I'm coming back to Egypt."

It was Malik's turn to pause. Why on earth would Ryou want to come back to a place full of so many bad memories? Sure, he was unconscious for the worst of it, but that didn't mean that being there wouldn't remind him of his torturous yami.

"But why?," Malik asked, certain that nothing good could come out of it.

"I don't really know, Malik. Something is just telling me I need to be there. I keep having dreams, but I can never quite recall them when I wake up. I only ever remember the feeling that I need to go back; that something is missing."

"Well, let me know when you're coming. I'll pick you up and we can figure this out."

"I appreciate it, Malik. Truly. I haven't told anyone else I'm leaving. I'm not even sure they'd notice I was missing. But I don't want them suspicious or anything. I don't think the spirit is back. I just having this overwhelming need to be there. I can't really explain it."

"It's alright. your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you. I'll call before I leave. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Ryou."

* * *

 **A/N:** Fairly short intro chapter. The next one will be longer. What does Ryou find in Egypt? What exactly is he dreaming about? Does Malik think his little silver-haired friend has finally gone off the deep end? Continue reading and find out! Don't forget to review!


	2. Ryou and Malik Take a Hike

**Author's Note:**

So the prologue was a bit short, but just wait until Ryou gets to Egypt! Hold on tight because things are about to get wild (and very AU? Sort of?)

I do not, nor will I ever, own YGO :(

As always, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Ryou arrived in Egypt without incident. Malik picked him up from the airport and took him back to the apartment he moved into after being relieved of his duties as a tomb keeper. After settling in to the spare room, Ryou started to fidget; he was so close to what had been crying out to him that it was almost tangible. He still didn't know what IT was, but he could certainly feel it tugging at him.

This didn't escape Malik's attention; he could sense the boy's restlessness from the moment he arrived to greet him. There was nothing he could possibly think of that would bring Ryou back to Egypt. The spirit of the ring was gone. The Pharaoh was gone. His father had been absent for at least as long as Malik had known the white-haired boy. So what on earth brought him here?

"Ryou? Um...may I ask what it is you're looking to find?"

He stopped tapping his fingers on the windowsill and turned his gaze toward his Egyptian friend.

"I need to go back."

"Go back? Go back where? Home?"

"No...I need to go back to...this is going to sound stupid. I need to go back...there..."

Confusion crossed Malik's face. What was he talking about? There was no "there" to go back to. Not that he knew of anyway. Everything had collapsed following the Ceremonial Duel. So where the hell was Ryou wanting to go?

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Ryou."

Ryou gazed back through the window, he eyes drawn to something that Malik couldn't see.

"Kul Elna. I need to go. I don't know why I need to go, but I do. Something isn't right; I can feel it."

Malik audibly gulped. His friend had clearly lost his mind.

"Kul- Ryou! You can't go back to Kul Elna! Are you crazy?!"

"...I'm kinda starting to think so..."

"Ryou, that place- it's dark. It's nothing but death and pain from millennia past. There's not even much left anymore."

"It doesn't matter; I need to go. That's what I keep dreaming about. I've learned from experience that when I have these kinds of dreams, they happen for a reason."

"B-but...but..."

"But what?"

"Everyone says it's still haunted," Malik replied sheepishly, "and besides, after it all caved in, it'd be nearly impossible to locate again."

Ryou shot a skeptical look at his friend. Haunted? Ha! He'd spent years being haunted.

"I...I know where it is..."

Now it was Malik's turn to look skeptical.

"How could you possibly know where it is? You were unconscious for just about everything."

And then a light bulb went off in Malik's head. He had the tomb robber's memories. He didn't know how exactly, especially since Bakura was gone for good (he hoped), but that was the only explanation for Ryou's knowledge.

"So...are you going to come with me or am I making a solo trek through the desert?"

Malik sighed heavily.

"Well, I can't just let you wander off alone. You stick out like a sore thumb around here with that hair. Let me grab my stuff."

And without another word, the two boys took off out the door with Ryou leading the way to a place he shouldn't have even been able to find.

* * *

After walking for close to two hours, Ryou stopped suddenly.

"Here."

Glancing around, Malik didn't see much. All that stood before them were the dilapidated remnants of what might have once been homes. The ground seemed to have smoothed over anything that would've suggested that a ceremonial chamber had ever existed beneath the sand. He felt his skin prickle.

"Ryou...I really don't have a good feeling about this. M-maybe we should go back."

"No. I've come this far. I need to know why. I'm not going back."

"But Ryou..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the ground gave way in front of them. Malik looked on in terrified fascination as the ceremonial chamber opened up, revealing the steps leading beneath the surface. He watched, frozen where he stood, as Ryou descended them without hesitation. He then began to see shadowy figures start to float around his friend. The place really was haunted! But Ryou didn't seem bothered by them at all.

"Ryou! They're still guarding this place! What if they hurt you?"

"They won't," the white-haired boy replied flatly.

"H-how do you know? We're disturbing their resting place!"

"I'm...one of them...they called me here. They won't hurt me."

"And you trust them? You trust the angry spirits of Kul Elna?"

"Yes. I told you, they called me here. I'm supposed to be here. Now, are you coming or not?"

Malik took a tentative step toward the entrance and was immediately swarmed by the spirit.

"Don't hurt him. He means no harm to you," Ryou spoke with an air of authority that sounded foreign to Malik's ears.

But just like that, the spirits backed off, allowing the Egyptian boy to pass unscathed. He followed his friend down the steps and into the chamber below. Ryou took a seat on the ground as if waiting for someone. Malik stood back against the wall, trying to make sense of everything he was seeing. The spirits that had been swimming about seemed to settle before the pale boy on the ground.

"You heard us, little one," a voice came.

"Why am I here?"

"You'll find out soon. We're not here to harm you. We simply wanted to meet you."

Ryou sat calmly as Malik tried desperately not to run. What the actual hell was going on?

Without warning, the figure of a woman materialized from the purplish mist of the spirits. She walked toward Ryou and knelt down in front of him as she placed a translucent hand on his cheek. Malik noticed that her hair was similar in shade to Ryou's. Her eyes were a soft violet.

"Hello child," her voice was soft, soothing, "incredible. You are absolutely incredible."

"W-who are you?," Ryou asked, his eyes lifting to meet her gaze. Upon looking at her, the answer to his question became obvious.

"I am his mother. We are his family, his friends. And you," she lifted Ryou's chin appearing to inspect him, "you are so much like him."

Malik's jaw dropped. Both boys were aware of the "him" she was referencing. But what did she want with Ryou? As her hand rested against his cheek, the fair-skinned boy felt the flood of memories from the night of the massacre. The taste of blood in the air, the smell of burning flesh and molten gold, the terror that wracked his darker half's body as he hid in the shadows. It was suddenly very real and not just the memory he had retained from years of being attached to the spirit. And then it was gone from his vision as quickly as it had appeared.

"So tell me child, do you think his actions were justified?"

"I...well...yes. Perhaps he targeted the wrong person, but the desire to avenge all of you for such a cruel fate was justified. I cannot fault him for his anger and pain."

"You truly are his light; you are a good boy. You, too, have felt great loss; but yours did not lead to such a fate."

Ryou cast his eyes down. He knew the feeling of rage, anger, and the desire for vengeance. He couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze, afraid that she would see that even he had the capacity for such emotions. But she already knew his thoughts.

"Ryou, we all have those thoughts. But not all of us act on them. Bakura allowed those feelings to control him; he welcomed Zorc into his heart. Perhaps if he hadn't been connected with the creature of darkness, it could've played out differently. You ARE good; I know it. I can feel it. You shared his soul. My son was good once, before he was forced to watch us perish."

"So why am I here?," he asked, lifted his head to look at the beautiful woman still caressing his cheek as a mother would do to her child.

"He asked for you."

Now Ryou's jaw dropped. The spirit who had tormented him for years asked for him to come all the way to Egypt to what? Meet his mother? What was even happening? This couldn't possibly be real, and yet, here he was talking to a ghost as if it were a normal Tuesday evening.

"H-he...asked for...m-me?," he couldn't keep his voice from trembling, remembering his past experiences with the spirit.

"It's alright little one. There's a purpose. He...wants to make things right with you."

Malik raised an eyebrow. He what now? Was he even hearing this right?

"And how exactly does he want to do that?"

Before the woman could respond, a stepped out from the shadow. The wild dirty white hair, lavender eyes, and telltale scar along his right cheek were unmistakable. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh.

"Hello Landlord."

* * *

 **A/N:**

And cliffhanger! Sorry about that. Just means you'll need to follow/favorite to find out what happens! I know it's a lot of dialogue at the moment, but I get impatient with unnecessary exposition and fluff. Please leave reviews; I live for them.


	3. The Thief Comes Back

**Author's Note:**

 **So it's occurred to me that the previous chapters felt a bit rushed. At least, that's how I perceived them when I reread them. My problem seems to be that I have 800 million thoughts about the story running through my head and I want them all written down yesterday and I'm horribly impatient with myself. But anyway, as the title of this chapter suggests, the thief is back. So what happens now?**

 **Read it, review it (I love them. Good, bad, indifferent. Doesn't matter. Just do it), and enjoy.**

 **And we all know my dorky ass doesn't own YGO.**

* * *

Ryou turned his head to look at the figure approaching him; this was impossible. He glanced behind him and noticed Malik was looking on in stunned silence, trying to decide whether to hold his ground or make a break for the stairs to his left. He started to slide his foot toward the opening, but was startled by Bakura's voice.

"Stay where you are tomb keeper."

Malik obeyed, not even realizing he was trembling with fear. Ryou looked back to the woman still resting her hand on his face. Seeing the flash of terror in his eyes, she shushed him, her thumb lightly stroking his cheek.

"Don't worry little dove; it's alright. I promise."

Bakura made a tentative step closer, glancing at his mother and then back to the boy who had been his host for so many years. She gave him a warm smile and held out her other hand to him. He grasped it lightly, leaning to place a kiss on her cheek. Ryou was dumbfounded; he had never seen his Yami with such a gentle expression. The devious glint in his eye still remained, but the cruelty that has resided there was no longer present.

"I-I don't understand."

Bakura knelt down next to him, trying not to frighten him away. Countless emotions flickered across his face as he searched for what he should say. "Sorry" wouldn't be enough; not by a long shot. Although, it was as good a place to start as any.

"I'm sorry, Yadonushi. Truly. It's not going to erase the things I've done, or the hell I put you through in the process, but I am sorry."

"A-are you...real?," Ryou reached a hand out slowly, debating whether or not placing a hand on the thief was a wise decision. Deciding it was worth a shot, he stretched his arm out, his thumb brushing feather light against the scar beneath Bakura's eye. He half expected Bakura to retract from his touch, but instead, he placed his own hand over Ryou's cradling his palm against his cheek. Looking into his eyes, the boy could see his words were genuine.

"As real as you are."

Malik watched, frozen by a mixture of fear and fascination. Was this what Ryou had been dreaming about? Did he have actual _feelings_ for the tomb robber who had so mercilessly overtaken him previously? What the hell...? But his thoughts were cut short by a heavy rumble beneath the ground.

"Shit!," Bakura exclaimed. "We need to go! We need to get out of here now!" Placing one last kiss on his mother's cheek and whispering a faint "I love you" and "Thank you," he grabbed Ryou up and took for the steps leading out. Malik ran behind them, letting out an unceremonious squeal as rocks tumbled behind him.

Ryou was lifted so quickly that he didn't even realize he had buried his face into the thief's neck, his hands clinging tightly to the fabric of the man's robe. It wasn't until they were safely above ground that he felt a blush rise from the close proximity. Bakura had a hand against the back of his head, lightly stroking his hair. He should've done this ages ago; the boy deserved kindness. He couldn't believe he had never taken the time to hold him, to breathe in the scent of his coconut shampoo, or to even truly get to know him. He leaned his head down against Ryou's hair for a moment, savoring the physical contact, but was startled out of his reverie by an impatient Malik.

"Ahem!," Malik cleared his throat loudly, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

Both white haired boys looked at him, Ryou briefly forgetting he was still tangled in Bakura's arms, and they both laughed for a moment as the Egyptian boy flailed his arms in frustration. Ryou then glanced at the man holding him tightly before scrambling to stand up on his own. Bakura gave a light smirk at the blush that had deepened on the boy's cheeks.

"That," the man gestured with a sweep of his arm, "was my grand finale!"

Rypu covered his mouth to stifle a giggle, not sure how Bakura would act toward him. Malik rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"You couldn't have just sent a postcard?!," steam was seemingly rising from the Egyptian's ears.

"And what would I have said? _Hey Ryou. Sorry I was a shitty tenant. Please come back so I can make it up to you. By the way, my mom wants to meet you. Also there are ghosts and you might die_?," he smirked, "Not nearly dramatic enough. I'm the king of thieves, not the king of bland rebirths."

At this point, Ryou had completely lost it. Clutching his sides, he was doubled over cackling. This had to be the most ridiculous thing that had ever happened, and he'd already lived through ridiculous. His tormentor! The spirit who had made it a point to completely alienate him from everyone, who took it upon himself to take over his body against his will, wanted him to come back?! Was this even real life anymore?! Both of the others turned around to stare at him as he struggled to catch his breath, propping himself up by holding his hand against Bakura's hip.

"Are you...alright, Yadonushi?"

"Y-yeah, I-I'm f-f-fine!," another fit of laughter overtook him. The thief couldn't help marveling at how beautiful the boy was, his cheeks pink, with tears trickling from his eyes. His laugh was infection; he couldn't remember ever hearing him laugh like that. That was probably his fault; he knew he had made Ryou miserable back then.

Malik sighed, slumping to the ground with his head in his hands. This was too much. Could they even trust the tomb robber? Surely he wouldn't have expended so much magical energy just to come back and torture his friend even more. That wouldn't make any sense. And the way he was looking at his former host displayed an emotion that no one had ever witnessed from him. There was love? Was that it? Was Bakura, the almighty King of Thieves, lone survivor of Kul Elna, _in love_ with Ryou? Now it was Malik's turn to laugh. Falling backward, clasping his arms around his tanned stomach, he laughed. He laughed until he couldnt breathe; or at least until Bakura finally walked over and slapped him upside the head.

"What the bloody hell is so damned funny, Tomb Keeper?"

"Everything about this," he panted, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, "y-you're...in...l-love...with...h-h-him!" Another giggle fit kicked in.

Ryou, who had been laughing at Malik's uproarious laughter, was suddenly silent. He looked up at Bakura to see the expression in his eyes. This was another new one; it was something akin to embarrassment, perhaps? Standing up straight, Ryou stepped over to face the former spirit. He couldn't explain it, but something definitely felt different looking at Bakura now. The fire dancing in his eyes was still there; the mischievous smirk was still splayed across his face. And yet, there wasn't the overwhelming, all-consuming malice. The sense of foreboding he once felt every time Bakura would appear before him was gone. The intangible, though oppressive, darkness no longer surrounded his presence. He reached a hand up to the man's cheek.

"Is that...true, Bakura?," he cast his gaze down, afraid that the thief would either start laughing and telling him it was all a cruel joke; or, even worse, he would disappear again.

Bakura placed a hand beneath Ryou's chin, lifting his face up to look him in the eye. He felt the boy flinch and shut his eyes, obviously waiting for the other shoe to drop. It hurt his heart to know that he had damaged the boy so badly.

"Ryou, open your eyes."

He hesitated, but gradually opened his eyes to meet Bakura's gaze. Before he had a moment to back away, he felt the thief's lips brush lightly against his.

"It's the truth, Yadonushi."

At this, Malik fainted in disbelief.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Read and review! Next chapter is in the works! What happens now?


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